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Oct. 28, A. H. BECK I PERSONAL WEAR BELT WITH ELASTIC CONNECTING MEANS Filed Sept. 2. 1927 INVENTOR an-a, a Back u. ATTORNEY v Patented IOct. '28, 1930 [FUN-ED [STATES P E T-OFFICE:-

. ALWIN H. BECK, or RooHEsTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR To nicxox 00. Inc, or ROCHESTER, NEW YoRK, AooRroRAmIoN oENEw YoRK I p EERsoNAL-wEAR BELT wrrn ELASTIC oonnno'rrne MEANS Continuation of application Serial No. 627,179, filed Mardh.23,1923.'' 1'his application meaf V September 2, 1927. 7 The present invention relates to personal wea'rbelts with elastic connect ng means, th1s application beinga continuation of an applicationfiled by me on- March 23, 1923, Se-

'5 rial No. 627,179. An object of the invention is to provide. a novel'construction having means permitting the two ends of'a belt to be secu-red'to an elastic connecting means so as to render the elastic connecting means inconspicuous. Afurther object of the invention is to so mount the spring means that it does not contact with the belt while at the same time the belt lies in front of the same and hides such spring means. 7

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain part-s and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: .Fig. 1 is a perspective view'of an elastic connecting means constructed in accordance with this invention; g,

.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section throughthe connecting means and two ends of the belt; 7

Fig. 3 is a per-spective view of the rear side of the'connecting means; y

Fig; 4.is a transverse section through'the connecting means, f k

'Fig.g5 is a longitudinal" section through one of'the'spring casings; and

v 'Fig. 6 isan endview of the of the elastic connection. V

' In the illustrated embodiment of'theinvention, the belt end connecting means embodies two elongated spring casings 1 arranged in parallel relation and connected by aportion 2. In this instance, the spring casings. v1 and the connecting portion 2 are plate member formed from one piece of sheet metal, the central portion ofwhich -forms the web'or connecting portion and'the edge portions ofwhich are rolled into the two tubes or spring casings 1.

Arranged in these spring casings and entirely enclosed'thereby, are helical springs 3 and-also two guide bars 4, one of the latter being positioned in each casing surrounded by one of the springs 3 and having'an abutment 5 atoneend engaging'an end .ofits beltpassing over the'flange 6 of the sheet and also to the sheet metal portion, s aid'fasteners passing through the'openings 8i and 9 Serial No. 217,281.; U I v spring. jThe other ends of the two springs I wlll engage the combined abutment and gu de piece 6, which in this instance, :is formed of 'one'pieceof metal withthe' tubes 1 and the connecting portion 2, being bent up the central portion extending be- 7 tween the tubes or casings 1,wings 6 on this flange closing the'ends of the tubes and being videdwith twoopening's 8 and .9. The belt has its main portion 10 passed over the front face of the sheet metalymember throughout the length of the'spring casings and thence around the flangeden'd '6 so that an inwardly turned portion 11 lies on the rear face of the sheet metal member; .That'portion. of the metal member is notched at'12;at opposite edges so as to be received between the two guide bars 4, thus permitting the main portion 10 and the inturned portionll of, the belt to'be coextensive inwidth with that of the sheet metal member, whereby, the latter may be effectively hidden'bythe belt. The springs 'bybei'ngentirely enclosed in casings. do not rub on the belt and are thus given complete freedom of action. 'Separable snap fasteners of known construction each having two parts 13 and 14, maybe arranged respectively on the main or't'ion-10 and the inturned portion 11 of the elt to secure said portions togetherin the :web or; central-portion 2 The spacing of thespri'ngtubes or casing's permits the holding means'for one'end of the belt to secure fanend of a belt'to the casing supporting member at a point between the tubes.

The other end ofthe belt 10 may be connected to the guide bars, in any. suitable manner. Itis preferred, however, to provide a belt anchoring means pivotally connected 1 bearings 17 formed adjacentopposite ends ofthe rigid connecting member 15. 'The guide bars are slightly flexible so that itis possible, when they are pulled out of the casings',t'o

flex them slightly in alateral direction and disconnect them from the connecting member by withdrawing the bearings 16 from the bearings-17.' This rigid connecting member may also-serve as a controllingmember for the pivoted clamping. member 18jwh1ch', :111

this instance, is mounted to. turn Iona pivot .pin 19 and is carried by 'saidconnec'ting and controlling member 15 toward iandifrom the rear face of a buckle frame to be described.

The rigid connection is formed with a' recess or opening 20 which is substantially as wide as the portionll of the belt so that said portion 11 may be readily passed therethrough to be positioned on the rear face of the sheet metal member of the elastic connecting means.

The buckle frame with which the clamp- 1 ing member'18 cooperates may be ofany suitable form; In this instance', it comprises a front plate 21 having laterally turnedside flanges 22 which supportthe pivot pin 19.

The belt end'10 is'adjustably securedby the clamping member 18 and' extend soverthe pivotal connection between thegu'ide' bars 4 and the rigid connection 15. 3

' Itwill be apparent that there has been provided a belt having the connecting means secured thereto in such a manner that the connecting means is inconspicuous. One end of the belt connects with one member of the connecting means in such a manner thatthe memberis substantially hiddenfrom view.

This member forms the support for the resilient means and is so constructed that an inwardly'turned end on the belt'maybe readily connected o-r disconnectedfrom the main portion of the belt. The fastening means for the inwardly turned portion also acts to hold the belt tothe elastic connection; The elastic connecting {means also embodies two guide bars with a rigid member pivotally connected to them to holdthem against separation and providing flexibility in the belt at this point. This rigid member may also serve as the controlling member for a clamp for holding the other end of'the belt. In other words, they belt buckle and the clamp with the rigid member form an anchoring or V securing means for oneend ofthe belt pivo-tally connected to the two guide bars, thisend of the beltbeing arrangedto "extend beyond the 7 turned portion lying in rear of the main porclamp to cover and bridge the space-between the guide bars so that this portion of the connection is inconspicuous.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V 1. The combination with an elastic connection'comprising two spaced tubes, a'wejb connecting said tubes and provided with openings springs arranged in said tubes, and

guide bars operating in the tubesjand co- I opei atingw-itli said springs, of a belt having a width equal to thewidth of theelastic "connection'with two 'portions lying on opposite sides of the web, said belt being passedaroundone end of the web and cutaway to permitthe'passage of the guide bars, a separablefastener passing through an opening ofthe' web and securingone end of the'belt, and meansfcr connecting the other end of the belt with-the guide bars. 2-. The combinationw th an elastic connectioncomprising two spaced guides, an enlarged loop connecting the guides at one end, an-anchorlng member havlng two spaced tubular portions 1n which said guides are movable, and helical springs in said tubular 1 portions opposing the movement of the guides, of a belt having two portions lying onwopposite sides of the anchoring member and a portion passingaroundone end of the anchoring member and cut away in opposite a SlQlBS topermit the passage of the spaced guides, the width of thebelt being greater thanthe distance between the guides and'less than the width of the loop so that the belt may be passed through the loop to align its cutaway portions with the guides-and means I for connecting the other end of the belt with the loop. v t

I 3: The combinationwith a belt having an inwardlyturnedend portion, and a separable fastenerconnecting said end portion with the front or main portion, of a member having a portion engaging the bend between the main portion of the belt and the inturned end, said member lying between. said portions and held thereto by the separable fastener, saidmember having a substantially flat face, substantially coextensive with .the member and coveredby the main portion of the belt, a spring 7 entirely enclosed by said member so as not to engagethe; belt and lying in rear of the -main-portioii of the belt, a member guided .on sa d belt securing member and having its movement opposed by said spring, and means connected to-said springopposed member for securing the other end-of the belt 4, vThe combination with a belt havingan inwardly turned end portion, and a separable fastener connecting said end portion with the covering the two spring casings, the inwardly tion and the separable fastener passing through the opening in the member between the two spring casings, springs in the spring casin s two uide bars eratin in the cas- I ings and having their movement opposed by the springs, and means connected with the two guide bars for connecting the other end of the belt thereto.

5. The combination with a memberhaving two parallel guides, of spring means mounted on the member, two guide bars movable on the member and having their movements opposed bythe spring means, a rigid member pivotally connected to said guides and having a recess disposed toward the space be- I tween the guide bars andof greater Width than the space between the guide bars, means for connecting one end of a belt tothe meme ber having the parallel guides, and means for connecting the other end of a belt to the rigid member.

6. The combination with amember having two parallel guides, of springs mounted on and enclosed by the member, two guide bars movable on the member and having their and enclosed by the member, two guide bars movable on the member and having their movement opposed by the springs, a bearing projecting laterally from the outer end of each guide bar, and a rigid member having spaced aligned bearings adjacent opposite sides turning on the laterally projecting bearings of the two guide bars, means for connecting one end of a belt to-the member having the parallel guides, and means'for connecting the other end of a belt to the rigid member.

8. The combination with a member having two parallel guides, of springs mounted on the member, two guide bars mounted on the other end of the belt.

enclosing casings spaced apart, means ar ranged between the spring casing for holding such belt to the member in front of the spring casings throughout the length of the latter, springs entirely enclosed in the casings, two

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guide bars having their movement opposed by the springs, and" means for holding the other end of the belt to the guide bars, said guide bars, one end of the belt extending means having pivotal connection with the across said pivotal connection and {over the r 10. The combination with a belt, of altub carrying member having two spring holding tubes arranged'entirely in rear ofthe main portion of the belt and hidden thereby,

springs enclosed in said tubes, means engag-- Ping the belt between the tubes for securing one end of the belt to thetube carrying member, I

two guides sliding in the tubes and havin their movement opposed by the springs, an

means connected to saidguides to secure the other end of the belt.

11. The combination with a belt having an inturned end, and a separable fastener securing said end to the front portion of the belt, of a member having a portion engaging the bend between the inturned end of the main portion and also having two tubes along opposite sides held between said inturned end and the front portion, said member having a web connecting the two tubes and provided with an opening through which the separable fastener is passed, two guide bars movable in the tubes, springs enclosed in the tubes so as to be held out of contact with the belt and opposing the movement of the guide bars, and

means connected to'the guide bars for holdw the belt.

ing the other end of ALWIN H. BECK.

member and having their movement opposed by the springs, said guide bars being laterally flexible, laterally projecting bearings on the guide bars, a rigid connecting member,

and sleeve bearings adjacent opposite sides of means for connecting the rigid connecting member receiving the laterally projecting bearings and having the latter disconnectible therefrom by flexing the 7 guide bars laterally, means forconnecting one end of a belt to the first named member, and the other end of the belt to the rigid connecting member. l

9. The combination with a belt for personal wear, of a member having two spring 

